Media's coverage of indigenous issues to be examined

Saskatoon StarPhoenix reporter Betty Ann Adam is the subject of an upcoming National Film Board documentary. The film chronicles the first gathering of Adam and her Denesuline siblings since they were dispersed in the “’60s scoop.”

Fellow SP reporter Jason Warick is a fourth generation Polish-Canadian and has reported on First Nations and Metis issues for more than a decade. They’re part of a team hosting a conference next month for Saskatchewan editors, news directors and journalists about the media’s coverage of indigenous issues.

The two engaged in a conversation about some of the issues that will be discussed at the conference:

Warick: I grew up in and around Saskatoon learning about Christopher Columbus, Sir John A. MacDonald, Tommy Douglas and the European pioneers. In school, we were told Louis Riel was a “traitor,” but heard nothing about world record holder Paul Acoose, FSIN founder John B. Tootoosis or even Okanese First Nation Chief Marie-Anne Day Walker-Pelletier, Canada’s longest serving indigenous leader. There was no mention of residential schools, the pass system or the fact Saskatoon sits on Treaty Six territory. We’re all here in this province together, all party to that treaty contract. We should try to figure out what that means.

Adam: We hope the conference will be one step toward that goal. We hope it will educate and inspire news leaders, who have powerful roles in shaping the way information is perceived.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) gathered the living history of Indian Residential Schools from thousands of survivors and their descendants. It exposed Canada’s hidden history of oppression and genocide of indigenous peoples. That history now has been acknowledged at every level of Canadian society and government.

The TRC final report, co-written by our conference keynote speaker Marie Wilson, calls Canadians to action to admit the painful truth of our shared past and to change from here onward. Education is key.

Warick: Yes. Journalists, like teachers, have an obligation to educate. That means telling our stories and our history from all perspectives.

The death of Red Pheasant Cree Nations’s Colten Boushie last month unleashed a torrent of racism and ugliness. It was another reminder Saskatchewan has a long way to go to achieve reconciliation.

Adam: Blatant hatred is easy to identify and condemn. What’s harder to capture are the guarded beliefs about indigenous inferiority that underlie so much interaction between indigenous and non-indigenous people, but which are conveyed through subtle, non-verbal messages. Many people are deeply offended by the suggestion they’re part of racist systems but they don’t want to examine their willingness to accept the status quo as part of the problem.

Warick: The education system is a great example of that less obvious racism. Yes, my kids go on field trips to Wanuskewin, study the treaties and learn about the buffalo. That’s great. But their friends in Lac la Ronge or other First Nations can’t afford that quality of instruction because reserve schools continue to receive thousands per student less than my kids.

Adam: There are also positive signs. Saskatchewan universities are answering the calls to action by supporting our conference as we work to educate journalists already working in the industry, especially those who didn’t have the benefit of a complete schooling about Canada’s relationship with the first peoples.

Warick: That’s why this conference is important. It’s a chance for all of us in the media to reflect on the images and stories we’re publishing in the newspaper, broadcasting on television and radio or posting online. It’s not simply about writing more happy stories about First Nations and Metis people — the controversies and negative stories should not be glossed over. Rather, it’s about stories that go beyond stereotypical depictions of indigenous people in court or at powwows. The indigenous perspective needs to be included in stories about resource revenue sharing, education funding or child welfare.

Adam: We hope it will provide a safe place for mainstream journalists to share their experiences and meet some of the aboriginal news sources who can help them cover forgotten members of their communities.

Marie Wilson is a former journalist who will share her experiences as a TRC commissioner. We’ll also hear from journalists who are providing insightful coverage on aboriginal issues. And the heads of news organizations will explain why improved coverage is good business.

Reconciliation and the Media runs Oct. 5 at the University of Saskatchewan. Other organizers include creator and Treaty Four News editor Mervin Brass, 650 CKOM host David Kirton, Eagle Feather News editor John Lagimodiere and columnist Doug Cuthand.

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